House of Ruth Partners With Baltimore Ravens

House of Ruth Maryland announced a three-year partnership with the Ravens to increase raise awareness on domestic violence.

The organization aims is to raise domestic violence awareness by educating players and staff, it says in a statement.

"The goal of the joint partnership is to raise awareness by first educating players and front office staff to be able to recognize the signs of abuse, understand how to respond and know where to go for support," House of Ruth explains in a statement. "The Baltimore Ravens will lead the effort throughout Maryland and encourage all citizens, businesses and organizations to join in the initiative."

The Ravens will donate $600,000 to House of Ruth Maryland in the partnership. Furthermore, the team will take part in workshops focusing on intimate partner violence in the workplace and abuse intervention programs.

The partnership comes after the NFL announced it will have tougher penalties regarding domestic and sexual abuse. The league received plenty of criticism following the two-game suspension of Raven Ray Rice. Rice allegedly assaulting his now wife in an Atlantic City hotel this February.

"I didn't get it right," Commissioner Roger Goodell said about the NFL's decision on Rice during a press conference announcing the penalty change.

Rice has never said exactly what happened in the elevator; he has said his actions were "totally inexcusable."